Crop driers

ABSTRACT

A crop drier has an enclosed drying space and a heater which forces heated air through a lower air passage and into contact with crop being moved through the drying space. At the lower aspect of the passage, a debris collecting and cleaning device is positioned. The cleaning device can be displaced relative to the remainder of the drier for debris removal.

United States Patent [191 van der Lely [54] CROP DRIERS [76] Inventor:Ary van der Lely, l0, Weverskade,

Maasland, Netherlands [22] Filed: June 7, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 150,237

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 11, 1970 Netherlands..7008488 [52] US. Cl. ..34/218, 34/174, 34/216,

- 34/236, 209/238 [51] Int. Cl ..F26b 19/00 [58] Field of Search..34/174, 168, 215-218,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,623,634 12/1952 Kuss..209/238 4/1955 Bishop, v.209/238 51 June 5,1973

2,069,139 Flather ..209/308 2,501,487 3/1950 Whitman 2,974,797 3/1961Blackman..... 2,975,898 3/1961 Nelson ..209/238 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 325,301 3/1935- ltaly ..209/308 Primary Examiner-Kenneth W.Sprague Assistant Examiner-James C. Yeung Attorney-Mason, Mason &Albright [5 7] ABSTRACT A crop drier has an enclosed drying space and aheater which forces heated air through a lower air passage and intocontact with crop being moved through the drying space. At the loweraspect of the passage, 21 debris collecting and cleaning device ispositioned. The cleaning device can be displaced relative to theremainder of the drier for debris removal.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIEDJUH 5 i975 SHEET 3 OF 3 INVENTOR/7/?+ V4/v 05/? A 51.?

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CROP DRIERS For a better understanding of the invention and to show howthe same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by wayof example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a crop drier,

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view on an enlarged scale of a cleaningmechanism of the drier of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 isa sectional side view of a modified form of cleaning mechanism,and

FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of yet another modified form of cleaningmechanism.

The crop drier shown in FIG. 1 has a box-like drying space 1 providedwith crop conveying mechanism including an endless conveyor 2 in thefloor of the drying space 1 and a conveyor 3 provided with hook-liketines and having an inclined portion extending up the wall (termedhereinafter the rear wall) of the drying space opposite an inlet openingto the space, and a substantially horizontal portion extending forwardlyfrom the inclined portion. The central part of each longitudinal wall ofthe drying space is formedfor'the major part by meshwork. The front wallis provided with doors through which crop can be inserted into thedrying space, for example by means of a pick-up wagon. Beneath thedrying space 1 a passage 4, rectangular in plan, is provided withinsulating walls. From this pas sage hot air can be forced throughslot-shaped openings between adjacent bars in the floor of the dryingspace into crop located in the drying space. Behind the passage 4heating equipment 5 is disposed, which includes a burner 6 and a heatexchanger 7 for heating air. A blower communicates with the heatexchanger andthe housing thereof opens out through a channel 8 at therear of the passage 4 near the center of the rear wall of the dryingspace (FIG. 2).

From the opening of the channel 8, screening plates 9 are provided inthe interior of the passage 4 so that the corners on either side of theopening are screened.

The opening of the blower is covered by a fine mesh screen 10 forpreventing excessively heated parts from penetrating into the passage 4.

At the front of the passage 4 an auger or worm conveyor 11 extends overthe whole width of the passage, one end of this conveyor projecting outof the passage. At the other end the worm conveyor 11 is provided with agear wheel 12 which co-operates with a gear wheel 13 on the foremostshaft of the conveyor 2 for driving the worm conveyor 11. Where the wormconveyor projects through the wall of the drying space the flightsthereof provide an adequate closure so that hot air cannot escape fromthe passage. The conveyor opens out at that end of the passage 4 whichis remote from the heating equipment 5.

The drier described above operates as follows:

By means of a pick-up wagon or the like a load of crop to be dried canbe inserted through the open doors at the front of the drier into thedrying space. During discharge of the pick-up wagon the conveyors 2, 3and 13 are driven by, for example, an electric motor throughtransmission members (not shown). The crop unloaded from the pick-upwagon and dropping on the endless conveyor 2 in the floor of the dryingspace 1 is carried to the rear by this conveyor so that it passes towithin reach of the hook-like tines of the conveyor 3. These hook-liketines convey the crop in small batches upwardly and after some time itdrops from the tines in the manner described in our co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 105,213 filed Jan. 11, 1971, approximately near thecenter of the drying space, onto the crop on the floor.

When the wagon load has thus been discharged, the doors of the dryingspace are closed and by actuating switching mechanisms (not shown) theplace at which the crop detaches from the tines of the conveyor 3 isshifted forwards (see application Ser. No. 105,213 filed Jan. 1 l, 1971,so that crop accumulated at the rear can be displaced to the front. Inthis way a continuous movement of the crop to be drie-dacross the spaceis obtained, the crop being stacked on the floor in an airy layer, whileit is slowly displaced again to the rear by means of the conveyor 2.

By means of the heating equipment 5, hot air is blown, via the supplychannel 8 into the passage 4, from where it penetrates into the cropthrough the slots between the bars which form part of the floor of thedrying space.

During the drying process, while as stated above the crop is displacedin an airy layer with the aid of the conveyor 2 along the bottom of thedrying space from front to rear, it cannot be avoided that dust and cropparticles pass into the passage 4, where they are deposited in a layeron the bottom. This may give rise to clogging, and there is also therisk that this thoroughly dry material may be ignited by excessiveheating. In order to obviate this risk the conveyor 11 is provided, withthe aid of which material deposited in the passage is conducted awaylaterally since the air streams from the blower flowing through thepassage from rear to front, act to move the deposited material to thefront to accumulate and be conducted away by the conveyor 11.

FIG. 3 shows a form in which the conveyor 11 is replaced by a collectingtrough 14.

In the form of FIG. 4 a member 15, for example, of for instance canvas,is mounted on the bottom of the passage 4. At the rear it is connectedby means of cables 15A with a winch 16. At the front a closing plate 17,fastened to the member 15, is provided with a draw ring 18. The drawring can be connected by a cable with an electric motor or a tractor forpulling the member 15 out of the passage 4. Material lying on thismember canthen be removed. By means of the winch 16, which maybeactuated manually or, if desired, mechanically, the member 15 canthereafter be returned to its initial position;

While various features of the machines that have been described, andthat are illustrated in the drawings, will be set forth in the followingclaims as inventive features, it is to be noted that the invention isnot necessar' ily limited to these features and that it encompasses allof the features that have been described and illustrated bothindividually and in various combinations.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by letters patent of the United States is: I

1. A crop drier comprising an enclosed drying space with an endlessconveyor means mounted in said drier to move crop from the rear side ofsaid drying space to the forward and opposite side thereof, forced airheating means located at the lower portion of said rear side tocommunicate drying air to an air passage within said drier, said airpassage extending below said'conveyor means and being positioned toallow the drying air from said heating means to rise upwardly throughsaid drying space as well as the crop being conveyed through said space,collecting and cleaning means being located beneath said conveyor meanswithin said dryer to receive debris from the crop being conveyed, saidcollecting and cleaning means being movable with respect to theremainder of the drier for the ready removal of collected debris.

2. A drier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said collecting and cleaningmeans is positioned adjacent the forward side of said drier and near oneend of said endless conveyer means.

. 3. A drier as claimed in claim 2, wherein said collecting and cleaningmeans comprises a conveying member which extends transverse to the pathof said endless conveyor means.

4. A drier as claimed in claim 3, wherein said conveying member is aworm conveyor.

5. A drier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said collecting and cleaningmeans is a conveying member which extends substantially over the wholewidth of said endless conveyor.

6. A crop drier comprising an enclosed drying space with an endlessconveyer means mounted in said drier to move crop from the rear side ofsaid drying space to the forward and opposite side thereof said endlessconveyor means including a plurality of horizontally positionedconveyors that move crop through substantially the entire length of saiddrier, forced air heating means located at the lower portion of saidrear side to communicate drying air to an air passage within said drier,said air passage extending below said conveyors and being positioned toallow the drying air from said heating means to rise upwardly throughsaid drying space as well as the crop being conveyed through said space,collecting and cleaning means being located beneath said conveyorswithin said dryer to receive debris from the crop being conveyed, saidcollecting and cleaning means being movable with respect to th remainderof the drier for the ready removal of collected debris.

7. A drier as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one side of the drieris screened to permit ventilation above said air passage.

1. A crop drier comprising an enclosed drying space with an endlessconveyor means mounted in said drier to move crop from the rear side ofsaid drying space to the forward and opposite side thereof, forced airheating means located at the lower portion of said rear side tocommunicate drying air to an air passage within said drier, said airpassage extending below said conveyor means and being positioned toallow the drying air from said heating means to rise upwardly throughsaid drying space as well as the crop being conveyed through said space,collecting and cleaning means being located beneath said conveyor meanswithin said dryer to receive debris from the crop being conveyed, saidcollecting and cleaning means being movable with respect to theremainder of the drier for the ready removal of collected debris.
 2. Adrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said collecting and cleaning meansis positioned adjacent the forward side of said drier and near one endof said endless conveyer means.
 3. A drier as claimed in claim 2,wherein said collecting and cleaning means comprises a conveying memberwhich extends transverse to the path of said endless conveyor means. 4.A drier as claimed in claim 3, wherein said conveying member is a wormconveyor.
 5. A drier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said collecting andcleaning means is a conveying member which extends substantially overthe whole width of said endless conveyor.
 6. A crop drier comprising anenclosed drying space with an endless conveyer means mounted in saiddrier to move crop from the rear side of said drying space to theforward and opposite side thereof said endless conveyor means includinga plurality of horizontally positioned conveyors that move crop throughsubstantially the entire length of said drier, forced air heating meanslocated at the lower portion of said rear side to communicate drying airto an air passage within said drier, said air passage extending belowsaid conveyors and being positioned to allow the drying air from saidheating means to rise upwardly through said drying space as well as thecrop being conveyed through said space, collecting and cleaning meansbeing located beneath said conveyors within said dryer to receive debrisfrom the crop being conveyed, said collecting and cleaning means beingmovable with respect to th remainder of the drier for the ready removalof collected debris.
 7. A drier as claimed in claim 6, wherein at leastone side of the drier is screened to permit ventilation above said airpassage.